Lined container forming machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1949 M M? Q m V M w I H 6W 7 n as. d d B2] m 6 w ..H....:"G- M a w x 4 6 v G W Z .r .x I, 2 4% 4 3 Dec. 12, 1950J. G. VERGOBBI LINED CONTAINER FORMING, MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 19, 1949 HTTORNE? IIZZIIIIZI Patented Dcc. 12, 1950 LINED CONTAINERFORMING MACHINE John G. Vergobbi, Quincy, Mass., assignor to PneumaticScale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application January 19, 1949, Serial No. 71,577

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a container forming machine and particularlyto a machine for making a lined carton.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improvedcontainer forming machine of the type embodying one or more formingblocks around which the liner and the carton are successively formedwherein provision is made for maintaining the bottom folded portions ofthe liner in operative position in a novel and improved manner while thecarton is being formed thereon whereby to eliminate difficultiesformerly encountered.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the container forming machine and inthe various structures, arrangements and combinations 'of partshereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at theendof this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sufficient portion of a containerforming machine embodying the present invention to enable it to beunderstood; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the container formingmechanism, as viewed from the left in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevationof the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2, partly in cross section, andshown in a different position of operation; Fig. 4 is an end view of aforming block showing a carton blank being wrapped thereabout; Fig. 5 isa perspective view of a liner formed on the block with portions of thebottom closure extended laterally; and Fig. 6

is a perspective View of the completely formed lined container on theblock, portions of the outer carton being broken away to show thedisposition of the extended portions of the liner bottom closure.

The present invention is shown as embodied in a carton forming machineadapted to form a lined carton upon a forming block and which maycomprise a machine of the general type illustrated and described in theUnited States patent to Vergobbi, No. 2,364,406, December 5, 1944.

Such prior container forming machines are provided with a plurality offorming blocks arranged to be intermittently moved to present theforming blocks successively to the various lining and carton formingstations of the machine.

- In the operation of such a prior machine a lining blank is firstfolded about a forming block to form a tube, the overlapping portions ofthe blank being secured together to form a side seam for the liner.tion, portions of the lining blank extending beyond the end of theforming block are folded over the block to form the bottom of the liner.At subsequent stations, the carton blank is wrapped about the lining andblock in a similar manner At a succeeding station of operaand the bottomclosure completed and then the lined carton is stripped from the formingblock ready to be filled and top sealed. In practice, se-. lectedmarginal portions of the liner and carton blanks may be provided withstrips of adhesive for securing the overlapping portions of the side andbottom fold scams, or in some instances, heat scalable container formingmaterial may be used in which event the forming block may be heated soas to form a heat sealed seam when pressure is applied to. theoverlapping portions of the material.

A preferred form of bottom fold for the extended end of the tubularliner may be formed by folding one pair of opposed extended portions ofthe tube inwardly against the end of the form ing block and adhesivelysecuring the marginal edges of the extended portions in overlappingrelation. This operation causes the other pair of opposed extendedportions of the tube to extend laterally from the end of the formingblock in the form of triangular tab or flap portions. The triangular tabportions, which are free of adhesive, are subsequently loosely foldedflat against the adjacent side walls of the liner and held in operativeposition against the liner side walls by the subsequently applied outercarton blank.

In practice, the loosely folded triangular tab portions of the linerbottom closure have a tendency to spring back to their originallaterally extended form after leaving the bottom closure formingstation, particularly when relatively small triangular tabs are formedin the production of a narrow lined carton, so that when the outercarton is wrapped around the liner and block at a succeeding station ofoperation, the triangular tab portions are likely to become bent orcrushed durin the carton blank applying operation thus forming animperfectly lined carton.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for causingthe loosely folded triangular tab portions of the liner bottom closureto be maintained in such a position as to avoid the aforesaid crushingthereof and preferably in a. position substantially flat against theopposed side walls of the liner at the carton blank applying station sothat when the carton blank is wrapped about the liner on the formingblock, the triangular tab portions will be retained in operativeposition by the carton blank. In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, one of the tab portions comprising the tab folded against theupper surface of the horizontally extended liner and block may be enaged by a r'eciprocal folding plate at the carton blank applyin stationarranged to hold the tab flat until portion of the carton blank isfolded into a position to engage the tab. The other tab portion,comprisingthe one'folded against the undersurface of the liner andblock, does not lend itself to the provision of a reciprocal foldingplate because of the high speed of operation of the machine and becauseof the limited space available between the underside of the block andthe carton blank elevating and wrapping mechanism. Accordingly, in theillustrated embodiment of the invention, an air jet is provided fordirecting a stream of air against the lower tab to cause the tab to bemaintained in such position as to avoid its being crushed by the cartonblank as the latter is moved against the undersurface of the block.Preferably the flap is maintained in a substantially fiat or inwardlyfolded angular position suflicient to enable the elevated carton blankto engage and retain the tab in operative position without deforming orcrushing the same during the carton blank'applying operation.

Referring now to the drawings, if: represents the forming blocks securedto a spider i2 mounted upon a central shaft if; arranged to beintermittently rotated to present/the forming blocks to successivestations in the formation of a lined carton. Inasmuch as machines ofthis type which are provided with mechanisms for first wrapping theliner about a forming block and subsequently the outer wrapper or cartonthereabout are Well known in the packaging art, only sufiicient portionsof the machine have been herein illustrated and will be hereinafterdescribed as will enable the present invention to be understood.

In the operation of the container forming machine, a lining blank 15 iswrapped about a block 10. as indicated at H3 in Fig. 1, overlappingportions being adhesively secured together to form a side seam 213, thusforming a. tube on the block with portions of the tube extended beyondthe outer end of the block. At a succeeding station of operation, theportions of the liner tube extended beyond the forming block are foldedagainst the end of the block to form a bottom. closure. A preferred formof bottom closure, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, may be formed by knownmeans which may include a pair of reciprocal folding plates, not shown,arranged to fold one pair of opposed extended portions inwardly againstthe end of the block with the marginal portions in overlapping relationand adhesively secured together, this operation causing the otheropposed extended portions to take the form of laterally extendedtriangular tab portions 2 0, 22.

.While disposed at the bottom closure forming station, the laterallyextended and adhesive free tabs 28, 22 may be loosely folded backagainst the side walls of the liner and block by any usual or preferredfolding mechanism, not shown, to give the tabs an initial set or crease,and in the continued operation of the machine, when the intermittentlyoperated forming block leaves the bottom closure station, the looselyfolded multiple ply tab portions 2%, 22 havea. tendency to spring backto their original laterally extended position in varying degrees ofangularity depending upon the resiliency of the container formingmaterial and the size of the tabs. v

In order to control the disposition of the loosely folded triangular tabportions 20, 22 of the liner during the carton blank applying operationso asto assure that the tabs will lie flat between the liner and thecarton walls in the completed container, provision is preferably made atthe carton blank applying station for causing the tabs tobe maintainedin a flat or substantially fiat angular position against the side wallsof the liner until engaged by portions of the carton blank to maintainthe tabs in operative position. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, theouter carton blank 25, which may be provided with adhesive alongselected marginal portions thereof for forming the side seam and forsealing the bottomv flaps, is advanced into operative position beneaththe forming block and on top of vertically reciprocal folding platesarranged to elevate and wrap the carton blank about the liner andforming block in a manner similar to the liner forming operation. Asherein shown, the carton blank 24 is elevated against the underside ofthe horizontal forming block by an elevating plate 26 mounted on theupper end of a vertical rod 28 slidably supported within a tubular shaft38 mountedin the machine frame. Provision is made for operating theplate 26 in timed relation to the intermittent movement of the formingblock If) so as to eifect elevation of the plate 25 as soon as theforming block comes to rest at the carton blank applying station,through connections from a cam fast on a main cam shaft 3 3 of thecontainer forming machine. As illustrated in Fig. l, the lower end ofthe'vertical nod 28 is connected to one arm 36 of a two-armed leverpivotally mounted in a bracket 38 and the second arm 49 of the lever isprovided with a cam roll 42 for cooperation with the cam 32. A spring 44connected to the arm '33 is arranged to hold the roller 42 against itscam, and a yieldable 6011-1180- tion as between the arm 36 and the rod 23 is an ranged to maintain the elevating plate 26 in pressing engagementwith the underside of the forming block during the wrapping operation.As illustrated in Fig. a. second rod 46 depending from the underside ofthe plate 25 is .slidingly engaged with a cooperating member 48 fast onthe tubular shaft 36 to prevent rotation of the plate 28 and itselevating rod 28.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the space between the underside of theforming block it! and the upper surface of the elevating plate 26 isrelatively small, and in operation as soon as the form.- ing block comesto rest, the carton blank 24 is immediately elevated into engagementwith the underside of the liner and block. Accordingly, an air jet 58 issupported in a bracket 5'2 adjacent the lower end of the block and isarranged to direct a stream of air against the tab portion 22 to causethe same to be maintained in an in wardly bent and in an angularposition as shown in Fig. 1 until the carton blank 21% is elevated andengages the tab to completely fold it fiat against the side wall of theliner, as shown in Fig. 3. The air jet 59 may be arranged to blow acontinuous stream of air during the operation of the machine through anyusual or preferred source of supply of air under pressure connected tothe pipe 54.

Simultaneously with the operation of the elevating plate 26 to move thecarton blank against the underside of the liner and block, a pair ofside folding plates 56, 53 are elevated to wrap the blank against thesides of the block, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The sidefolding plates are attached to the hub d8 fast on the upper end of thetubular shaft 39 slidingly mounted in the machine frame and the tubularshaft is arranged to be reciprocated through connections from a cam 62fast on the cam shaft 34. As illustrated in Fig. l, the lower end of thetubular shaft is provided with a collar 64 fast thereon which isconnected by a'linkfifi to-one arm 68 of a two-armed lever pivotallymounted at in a bracket 12 attached to the machine frame. The second arm14 is provided with a cam roller I6 arranged to follow a cam path 78 inthe cam 52. Extensions 80 from the collar 6 are arranged to slidinglycooperate with a stationary guide bar 82 to prevent the folding plateunit from rotating.

After the side folding operation, the extended ends 84, 85 of the cartonblank 24 are folded into overlapping relation against the upper surfaceof the block by folding members 85, 81 carried by rocker arms 88,respectively to form the side seam of the carton which may besubsequently engaged by a side seam presser member 96 to firmly set theseam. As herein shown, the loosely folded upper tab 20 of the linerbottom closure is arranged to be engaged by a reciprocal folding plate93, carried by an end seam presser we, as soon as the intermittentlyoperated forming block it comes to rest at the carton blank applyingstation in order to hold the tab fiat against the liner side wall untilsuch time as the side seam forming portions 34, 86 of the carton blankare folded down into an angular position such as to retain the tab inoperative position, as illustrated in Fig, 4, whereupon the end presserand folding plate unit is retracted. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the endpresser I99 is provided with an extended portion I92 and is arranged tobe reciprocated in a substantially horizontal plane through linkageincluding an arm lll fast on a rocket shaft 195 journaled in a bracketH38 attached to the machine frame, and a link H9 pivotally mounted at H2in a bracket Il i attached to the machine frame. The shaft I96 may berocked in timed relation to the movement of the spider I2 and thefolding arms 88, 90 through cam operated connections including an arm H5fast on the rocker shaft I96 and a connecting rod I 18, whereby toeffect forward movement and retraction of the tab folding and endpresser unit at the proper times in the cycle of operation of themachine.

The forming block H1 is now intermittently moved to successive stationsof operation to effect folding and pressing of the bottom flaps of thecarton against the end of the block whereupon the lined carton isremoved from the block to be delivered from the machine.

From the above description it will be observed that the presentconstruction of container forming machine is adapted to assure properdispo sition of the laterally extended lining tabs during the cartonblank applying operat on whereby to cause the tabs to lie flat betweenthe liner and the carton in the completed container, as shown in Fig. 6.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. In a container forming machine of the character described, incombination, a forming block about which a blank of lining material andan outer carton blank may be successively wrapped to form a linedcontainer, the bottom closure for the liner being formed to providelaterally extended flaps, means for applying the carton blank about theliner including an elevating plate for supporting and elevating thecarton blank into engagement with a side wall of the form ing block andthe liner, and means for directing a stream of air against the adjacentlaterally extended flap to cause the same to be maintained inan inwardlyextended angular position until the carton blank is elevated and engagedwith the flap to be folded thereby flat against the side wall of theliner whereby to assure that the flap will lie fiat between the linerand the carton walls in the completed container.

2. In a container forming machine of the character described, incombination, a forming block about which a blank of lining material andan outer carton blank may be successively wrapped to form a linedcontainer, the bottom closure for the liner being formed to providelaterally extended tab portions, means for applying thecarton blankabout the liner including an elevating plate for supporting andelevating the carton blank into engagement With a side Wall of theforming block and the liner, and a pair of cooperating folding membersarranged to fold eX- tended portions of the carton blank intooverlapping relation to form the s'de seam, an air jet for directing astream of air against one of said tab portions to cause the same to bemaintained in an inwardly extended angular position until the cartonblank is elevated against said one side wall, and a reciprocal foldingplate arranged to fold and retain a second tab portion against itsadjacent side wall until the seam forming portions of the carton blankare folded into a position to engage and retain the second tab portionwhereby to assure that the tab portions will lie flat between the linerand the carton walls in the completed container.

3. In a container forming machine of the character described, incombination, a forming block about which a blank of lining material andan outer carton blank may be successively wrapped to form a linedcontainer, the bottom closure for the liner be ng formed to provide apair of laterally extended tab portions, means for applying the cartonblank about the liner, and means for causing said laterally extendedportions to be maintained in a substantially flat angular positionrelative to the side Walls during the carton blank applying operation,said last named means including an air jet arranged to direct a streamof air against one of said tab portions, and a reciprocal folding platearranged to engage the other of said tab portions, said air jet and saidfolding plate being arranged to maintain their respective tab portionsin said substantially flat angular position until portions of the cartonblank are Wrapped into a position to engage and retain the tabs in theirfiat condition whereby to assure that the tabs will lie flat between theliner and the carton walls in the completed container.

JOHN G. VERGOEBI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,702,704 Phillips Feb. 19, 19292,168,543 Vergobbi Aug. 8, 1939 2,394,935 Palmer Feb. 12, 1946

